Discover Owego: History, Riverwalk, and Hickories Park

Owego combines insights into local history with trails along the Susquehanna River and activities at Hickories Park. You can experience different sides of the town through its historic streetscape, self-guided tours, and events. As you plan your trip, consider whether culture, time outdoors, or a festival should be the focus.

Explore history at several stops

The Tioga County Historical Society in Owego includes a museum, a research library, a genealogical archive, and a historic carriage house. This gives you several points of interest under one name: the museum exhibits offer an introduction to history, while the research library and genealogical archive may be of particular interest to visitors exploring historical records or family history. The carriage house adds another historic area to the collection.

The Tioga County Historical Society is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission to the museum exhibits is free year-round. This information can help you plan when to visit and fit a museum visit into your itinerary. If you are traveling with people who have different interests, you can weigh whether to focus on the exhibits, researching family history, or another stop in Owego.

The Tioga County Courthouse is also part of the town’s history: Built in 1879, the courthouse is listed on the National Register and is considered the oldest continuously operating courthouse in New York State. In the historic downtown, 19th-century storefronts line the streets, inviting you to shop and browse at a leisurely pace. This makes it possible to combine an interest in history with time downtown without limiting your visit to a single building.

Self-guided tours in Owego pass by various public and private buildings. You can choose this way of exploring if you want to discover the town independently. The tours complement a museum visit with additional buildings and offer a different focus for your plans: rather than a single collection, several stops throughout the town are in the spotlight.

The Riverwalk and activities at Hickories Park

The Owego Riverwalk is a scenic trail with views of the Susquehanna River. If you enjoy spending time outdoors while traveling, you can plan the Riverwalk as an outing in its own right. Hickories Park offers a different range of activities: visitors can walk, run, and bike on paved roads. The paved paths suit different ways of getting around, so you can consider whether a walk, a run, or a bike ride fits your plans best.

Hickories Park also has a public boat launch and access for fishing. Alongside activities on the paved roads, these provide options connected to the water. The Riverwalk and the park offer different reasons to spend time outdoors: views of the Susquehanna River along the trail, or exercise and activities in the park. Families with different preferences can decide while planning their trip which of these experiences sounds most appealing.

Events and reasons to visit

Owego Porchfest is a free music event celebrating local music, local businesses, and the historic Owego community. The Owego Strawberry Festival takes place annually. Both events give a visit a special cultural or community connection. If you want to plan your trip around an occasion like this, you can include the events in your considerations; when choosing a vacation rental in Owego, it then comes down to whether a stay centered on culture and an event suits your plans.

Local options range from museums and historic buildings to trails, park activities, and events. When searching for a vacation rental in Owego, start by considering the kind of stay you want: would you like to spend most of your time exploring history and downtown, outdoors at the Riverwalk and park, or focused on an event? This can help you match Owego as a destination to your own interests.

If you would like to explore other destinations, you can also find Apalachin here.

For the broader travel overview: Tioga County.